


(No Longer) Broken Heart

by Pengi



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Angst, End Game Spoilers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-10 01:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18649735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pengi/pseuds/Pengi
Summary: I just saw the movie so END GAME SPOILERS!





	(No Longer) Broken Heart

**Author's Note:**

> T'Challa comes back when Hulk snaps his fingers but everything else is not so easy.  
> Established T'Challa/Everett.  
> Mention of M'Baku/Everett.

Everything happened so fast.

His kimoyo bracelet send an alert so he called Okoye only to see her speechless, tears in her eyes. Everett assumed the worst. 

"The Queen?" he asked anxiously, when suddenly there was another face on the hologram. 

Was it some recording? He stared at his husband, T'Challa looked exactly as he remembered him. 

"Everett?"

God how he missed that voice! Everett spent three years replaying every recording of T'Challa he had. First six month he cried everyday. Then he only cried when he saw T'Challa call him 'Love' on their wedding day. Then he stopped crying at all and would only smile fondly, bitterly, as he tried to relive those memories. Last time he looked at one of their videos was two years ago. He hadn't heard T'Challa's voice since.

"My Love, I don't have time to explain. I'm back. I have to go now for another battle but I promise you, I'll do everything I can to survive and return to you." 

Everett was suddenly dragged from his stupor. 'This is real. It's really happening' he thought.

"I love you!" was the only thing he managed say. Only thing that mattered. 

"I love you too. Always will," said T'Challa before ending the call.

Everett ran to the roof where he usually parked his jet. It was time to go home. 

***

He left Wakanda last year. Officially Everett Ross moved back to the US to take the role of an ambassador but in reality he just wanted to escape. Physically he was healthy, best doctors in the world found nothing wrong with him but his heart slowly started to give up. He didn't want Ramonda to see him fade, she lost enough as it was. They supported each other and shared the burden of taking care of a country that was broken and grieving.

Everett felt bad for leaving Wakanda but it was best he left and spared everyone the misery of seeing him die slowly of a broken heart. 

He kept in touch with Okoye and the Queen but before today hasn't considered coming back. There was always something to do, people to help. But everything seemed insignificant compared to T'Challa being alive. 

***

Wakanda wasn't guarded by shields now so he saw the city from far away. While he crossed the ocean Everett looked up the news and saw hundreds, thousands of reports all with the same message - THEY'RE BACK! Everyone who disappeared five years ago was back. 

By the time he landed fireworks lighted the sky. People everywhere were hugging and crying and laughing from joy. Even Dora Milaje were dancing and celebrating. He found Ramonda, Shuri and T'Challa on one of the balconies. For a minute Everett just stood there taking in the picture, feeling his heart trying to escape his chest. 

T'Challa was the first to notice him and a second later Everett was crushed against his husbands firm body. 

"We did it! We won!"

T'Challa was overjoyed. For him last five years were just a blink of an eye. He hadn't aged a day, whereas Everett was now not ten, but fifteen years older than his husband. 

T'Challa haven't changed but he did. 

"I missed you," said Everett before T'Challa kissed him. And what a kiss it was! He forgot it could be like this. 

"PDA! You're so gross!" said Shuri, dragging her brother away from Everett so she could hug him as well. "I hope he wasn't the only one you missed?"

"Of course not," said Everett and felt tears running down his cheeks. Only now he realized just how much he missed them all. 

***

After celebration that lasted all night and included what felt like an entirety of Wakanda, there was yet so much to do, so many things to take care of. He was Prince Consort still (or again). Although he and T'Challa didn't have time to talk properly, maybe if they did he wouldn't be. He probably shouldn't be. 

There were things he needed to tell T'Challa but they were both busy all day and by the end of it Everett felt bone-tired. He fell asleep long before T'Challa returned to their rooms. Their rooms. It felt so strange coming back to the place they once shared. Sleeping on their marriage bed. Everett moved from here almost straight away, choosing small room on the other side of the Palace, before he left Wakanda for good. Well, he thought that he was leaving Wakanda for good.

Everett woke up with T'Challa's hands wrapped around him, a sensation long forgotten. He couldn't help himself and leaned in to kiss his husband. They kissed slowly and tenderly, before a call interrupted them. 

"Not now!" growled T'Challa. "Let me have some peace and quiet with my husband for Bast's sake!" 

"Yeah, peace and quiet, sure," said Okoye sarcastically. "Enjoy yourselves, Your Highnesses, I'll cover for you for a couple of hours."

"Now where were we?" asked T'Challa, climbing on top of him. 

The weight of his husband, the heat of his body, Everett felt his heart beat frantically. It felt so good, he missed this so much. However there was something he needed to confess. 

"We need to talk," said Everett. 

"Can't it wait?" asked T'Challa while kissing his neck. 

Everett's blood rushed south so fast he felt lightheaded. "It can't." He put hands on T'Challa's shoulders and pushed him a little. 

"Okay, what is it?" asked T'Challa sitting on the bed. Everett got up as well.

"You should know, while you were gone," started Everett and then stumbled. "M'Baku and I, two years ago..." he couldn't continue, but judging by the look oh his face T'Challa understood.

It pained him physically to see such an expression on his husbands face.

"Are you still together?" asked T'Challa, trying to make it sound casually even though he had every right to be furious with Everett.

"No, it was a one time thing. After three years I lost all hope," said Everett looking down in shame. "I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

"It was hard for you, I understand. I can't blame you."

"You can, you should. It's not just that, I'm not the same man I was when you disappeared. I was significantly older than you then but now, with 15 years dividing us, it's too much. I'm too worn out, my heart is giving up, it won't be long before I'm gone. I should've said that straight away. It was selfish of me to come here."

"Stop, please," asked T'Challa and took his hand. When Everett looked at him he saw that T'Challa was crying. "I love you. I didn't stop loving you just because you slept with someone else. I don't care how old you are or how much you've changed, if you let me I'd get to know the new you and I'm sure I'd still be in love with you. All this time alone was cruel so you know how painful it is. If you ever loved me don't do this, don't leave me. For however long you have left, I want to be by your side."

Everett didn't have the chance to answer before T'Challa kissed him. It wasn't tender or playful like earlier, the kiss was desperate and passionate, meant to convince him to stay. 

T'Challa's hands caressed his body learning the new shape of it, slightly different than before. But no matter how much time has passed for him or how much he's changed, T'Challa knew exactly how to take him apart. How to make him feel like there's nothing and no one else in the world. This. This was the difference between having sex and making love. 

***

A hand on his chest felt warm and comfy, Everett woke up slowly. Wow, T'Challa really tired him out. 

"You're still here?" he asked sleepily. "What about a bazzilion things that needed to be done?" 

"They can wait. I had more important things to do."

"Like what?"

"Like learning all the new lines on your face and admiring all the silver hair I haven't noticed yet. You know what? I like all of it. All of you."

"Perv."

"Maybe. I've also been listening to your heart, it beats strongly and evenly. I don't know what your doctors said, but my diagnosis is that you're perfectly healthy and will live long enough to see Shuri's grandkids." 

Everett smiled at that and wished it was true. After all, his heart was no longer broken.


End file.
